Neverwinter: Skirmishes, Dungeons and Other Challenges

It seems like adventurers never have the time to sit down, kick their feet up and just enjoy the scenery. Wherever you turn, there is always some innocent peasant to rescue or bear flanks to collect, but after all, that is what MMORPGs are all about. Neverwinter falls under that exact category and constantly gives you new challenges to master. We decided to try out the roleplaying game ourselves and give you an overview of what there is to do:

Quests

Quests are your run-of-the-mill missions that require simple assignments: killing a treacherous thief, picking up supply crates or helping defenseless townsfolk. They usually take no more than a couple of minutes, always depending on the task at hand. Usually there are several quest lines that introduce you to new zones and so-called quest hubs, which are basically villages where everyone and their sister needs your assistance. Most of the quests that you get while leveling lead you into instanced areas, isolating you from other players and an open world experience.

Skirmishes

Once you hit level 8, you get the chance to try your very first skirmish called Blacklake Terror. In this instanced zone, you join four other players in taking down the Priest of Ghaunadaur and his two zombie hulks. Leading up to the final battle, you need to defeat several waves of monsters that have invaded the district. Skirmishes usually require a balanced group - including at least one tank, a healer and various damage dealing classes.

While the setup is quite similar to the one you need for completing a dungeon, this challenge only takes about half an hour and involves staying in one place rather than exploring every nook and cranny of dark caverns. When you reach the minimum level for a skirmish, you have the opportunity to sign up for a queue that automatically groups you with other players.

Dungeons

In most cases, dungeons are the backbone of every modern MMORPG and are all about teaming up with other players, slaying bloodthirsty beasts and delving into catacombs that belong to one or several named bosses that you eventually have to face. Neverwinter is exactly like that, except the developers have also decided to throw in a couple of puzzles, events and extra treasure chests. In order to complete a dungeon, you need the infamous Holy Trinity - tank, healer, damage dealer and preferably someone that dabbles in the art of crowd control.

Foundry Missions

Other than Star Trek Online, not many online games have given players the chance to actually create their own content. In this aspect, Neverwinter is different. Once you have brought a character up to level 15, you can access the Foundry and provide other heroes with stories that you have come up with. This feature not only gives you the opportunity to quench your creative thirst, but can also turn out to be quite lucrative, as others can tip you with diamonds once they are finished with the adventure you have created.